SPAEN has over a two decades of experience supporting people from across Scotland to manage their Direct Payment and keep on top of their duties and responsibilities as an “employer”. You can click on each of the different Membership levels below to be able to see more about what is included with each Membership level.
Level 1 – SPAEN Membership
Level 1 membership is available to anyone in Scotland who wishes to or is already employing their own Personal Assistant (PA) or is managing a PA on behalf of someone.
Level 1 members are Full Members of the charity, are eligible to attend and vote at SPAEN meetings and stand for election to our Board of Directors and Trustees if they wish.
Level 1 members benefit from having access to our own ‘in house’ advice team, providing assistance with all aspects of being a Personal Assistant (PA) employer including access to our unique online SDS budgeting tool; guidance around making the most of your Direct Payment; assistance with writing job descriptions and contracts of employment and dealing with all aspects of employment law.
An important part of our Level 1 membership is the inclusion of key *insurance products which feature:
- Employer Liability Insurance
- Public Liability Insurance
- Redundancy & Notice Payment Cover
- Additional Carer Cover
- Employer Indemnity Insurance
- 24-hour employment law and health & safety advice line
*Insurances are arranged on your behalf and provided by Fish Insurance. Limitations & exclusions apply so please refer to the Insurance Product Information Document you receive direct from Fish for details of policy cover.
| Included with Level 1 Membership | |
|---|---|
| Fully indemnified contracts of employment Access to SPAEN PA Employer Documentation Service Full access to the Members Area of the SPAEN website Full Voting Rights as a SPAEN Member SPAEN Publications (Newsletter, Annual Report and consultation papers Access to SPAEN Networking Events Employers Liability Insurance Public Liability Insurance Indemnity to Principle Insurance 24 hour Employment Law and Tax Advice Line Court and Tribunal Costs Redundancy & Notice Payment Cover Replacement Employee Cover Identity Theft Loss of Keys Errors & Omissions by Employee Theft by Employee Personal Accident Accidental Death Hospitalisation Benefit Emergency Medical Collection Accidental Death Funeral Cover Cost of Alterations to Your Home Compensation Costs Customer Care Helplines Health & Safety Manual and Advice Contract Disputes for services or Goods Purchased Excess (that you will pay - None) |
✓ |
Level 2 Membership - Payroll Services
If you want more support, you can opt for Level 2 membership.
This includes all the features and benefits included in Level 1 membership plus a basic payroll service.
Our payroll team will:
- Register you as an employer with HMRC;
- Calculate your payroll on a 4-weekly or monthly basis, provide you with pay slips and other pay reports;
- Assist you meet your duties under the Pension Act (automatic enrolment);
- Provide you with any other payroll or related advice and support you need.
If you are using our Payroll service, you will still need a separate bank account for your Direct Payment to be paid into. You will also need to make all payments to your employees, other service providers and HMRC yourself as we cannot operate a private bank account on your behalf.
You will also need to complete all financial returns and submit these to your Social Work team as per their terms and conditions of using a Direct Payment.
| SPAEN’s payroll service is designed for people who want to control their personal budget and expenditure but don’t want the hassle of registering with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC); calculating income tax; pension contributions and employer’s national insurance contributions. | |
|---|---|
| All Level 1 Membership Features | ✓ |
| Payroll Service Registration with HMRC Calculating Payroll (net pay, deducting tax and national insurance, sick pay, maternity etc. Automated payments via direct debit/FPS Payroll year end Pension compliance check |
✓ |
| Pension Auto Enrolment (opt-in) Delegate access Registration with National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme Assessing which PA(s) to add to NEST pension scheme Written correspondence to PA(s) Declaration of Compliance submission Making payments into NEST pension scheme Monitoring ages and earnings of PA(s) Manage requests to join/leave NEST pension scheme Keep accurate records of actions taken (securely for 7 years) Re-enrolment (every 3 years) |
✓ |
| Access to Payroll & Pension Information Support | ✓ |
Level 3 Membership - Managed Account
The highest level of support we offer is Level 3 membership.
Level 3 members get all the benefits of Level 1 membership plus:
- We will open and operate a Designated Client Account on your behalf;
- We will register you with HMRC as an employer and provide all the payroll services outlined in Level 2 membership;
- We will make all payments to staff, service providers and HMRC on your behalf; and
- We will prepare your financial returns for submission to your Social Work team.
Please note it can take between 8-10 weeks for the Designated Client Account to be opened and you will be required to make any payments due yourself until this account is opened and the funds are transferred.
**As a result of COVID-19, our banking provider is taking considerably longer than anticipated to open Designated Client Accounts.
| The Managed Account Service is more suitable for people who prefer to have their direct payment held in a separate bank account and don’t want the hassle of collating and submitting financial returns to the local authority. | |
|---|---|
| All Level 1 Membership Features | ✓ |
| Managed Account Service Account set-up and managed on members behalf Registration with HMRC Processing payroll information Automated payments via direct debit/FPS Payroll year end Pension compliance checks Reconciliation of account Regular financial statements Bank monitored individual accounts All/Any payments made on members behalf to third parties |
✓ |
| Monitoring Statements | ✓ |
| Pension Auto Enrolment (opt-in) Delegate access Registration with National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme Assessing which PA(s) to add to NEST pension scheme Written correspondence to PA(s) Declaration of Compliance submission Making payments into NEST pension scheme Monitoring ages and earnings of PA(s) Manage requests to join/leave NEST pension scheme Keep accurate records of actions taken (securely for 7 years) Re-enrolment (every 3 years) |
✓ |
| Access to Payroll & Pension Information Support | ✓ |
